Saint-Martin-d'Ary - Saint-Martin

The Benedictian Abbey of Guîtres (20kms south) had founded priory next to a little river here. Within the first half of the 12th century this small, but wonderful Romanesque church was erected from the local white stones. The structure is surprisingly complete, only the small "belltower" in the west was added later. Today Saint-Martin is a parish church, surrounded by the graveyard. The facade in the "style saintongue" is a bit weathered, just like the carvings especially around the capitals of the chevet.

Here are (at least) three persons doing a kind of line-dance. While the person to the right wears a skirt, the guy in the center seems to be naked.